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I am Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I am also the editor of the academic journal The Latin Americanist.

Friday, May 01, 2009

In terms of the Obama administration's policies toward Latin America, everyone is focusing on Venezuela and Cuba. Yet despite all the hand wringing about handshakes, the administration's most substantive work is actually a continuation of Bush administration policies--free trade agreements. The U.S. Trade Representative is meeting with Colombian officials to hammer out a deal that might get sent to Congress this year.

This is almost completely under the popular radar at the moment, which probably will increase its chances at success. The Bush administration was bombastic, soaking the country with op-eds spelling out apocalyptic scenarios if the FTA did not pass. That approach helped doom the entire effort.

Apparently part of the negotiations will be a show of proof that the murderers of labor leaders are being brought to justice:

On Colombia, Kirk will address concerns over the murder of labor leaders by showing that the country is arresting, convicting, and imprisoning those responsible, said Bill Reinsch, president of the National Foreign Trade Council.

We'll see how that goes. Can he actually be BFF with both Chávez and Uribe?

4
comments:

The Free Trade Agreement is an excellent Idea for both nations according to the best Minds in Economics. People like Paul Krugman, Jeffrey Sachs, Joseph Stiegler, etc ..

The Problem is that Mr Obama has to concentrate all his efforts in the Economy : Banks, Automakers, Financial Institutions. He has to be a SAVIOUR.

And the Problem is the Great Number of Americans that have been motivated by Hate TV and Hate Radio into believing that Latinos are Devils of Hell destroying America. ( And Islamics and even Europeans ! ) and that Mr Obama is a communist enemy of God and Guns and a friend of Abortion.

I condemn leftist politics like Chavez and Ortega. I consider those politics the worst path for Latin America. Eternal Grudges, Resentment, Envy and Inferiority Complexes, and confrontation with the best customer : USA.

Curiously those are the same forces that motivate the American Enemies of Mr Obama and the Democrats.

I have read several biographies of Chancellor Otto von Bismark of Prussia. He stressed constantly the need to be patient to wait for events and development of events. He had to rein his subordinates.

Do not attack Austria or France until the proper time. It is a better idea if Austria or France mobilizes first against Prussia, and you can blame them.

"Comprehensive Immigration Reform" and "Free Trade Agreements" are excellent ideas but can do a lot of political damage to Mr Obama, in times of economic suffering for Americans.

Fix the Economy Mr Obama and you will be a Great President, after that you can act in may intelligent ways.

On Colombia, Kirk will address concerns over the murder of labor leaders by showing that the country is arresting, convicting, and imprisoning those responsible, said Bill Reinsch, president of the National Foreign Trade Council....

The murders of five trade unionists during March made it the most dangerous month so far [this year] for trade union activists in Colombia. Added to the four assassinations in January and three in February the total for the year now stands at 12 – an average of one killing each week. As in the past the Colombian authorities have not yet arrested anyone for any of the killings leading the CUT trade union federation to describe the situation as a "policy of extermination."